Big Foot train rolls over Evansville

Evansville/Albany quarterback Matt Sperry is swarmed by Big Foot defenders, from left, Tim Long, Gus Wedig, David Waro and Collin Frederick during Friday's game in Evansville.

Dan Lassiter/dlassiter@gazettextra.com

Big Foot running back Tim Long eludes Evansville/Albany's Matt Sperry during one of his runs Friday night

EVANSVILLE—Toot, toot.

Big Foot's postgame celebration sounded like a freight train.

The cars connect something like this: A seven-win Rock Valley Conference season would give the Chiefs seven straight league titles and 50 consecutive conference victories.

Senior running back Tim Long was the team's primary conductor once again on Friday night, rushing 25 times for 205 yards and two touchdowns—one of them through the air—in a 35-0 victory to open the league season at Evansville.

“The 'Chief Train' is just a little thing we started this week,” Long said. “We definitely came in here wanting to have fun. I think we gave the conference a little bit of a wakening.”

The Chiefs might lack the big-play power of former running back Mason Dixon, but they're proving they can move the ball just fine.

Quarterback Brett Morris capped off their first possession—a quick but sustained drive—with a one-yard touchdown run less than three minutes into the game.

Long added a two-yard touchdown run and a one-yard scoring catch in the second quarter as the Chiefs stretched the lead to 21-0 at the break.

“I think our offensive line, in the second quarter, really took over,” Big Foot coach Rodney Wedig said. “(Long's) the four-yards-and-a-cloud-of-dust guy. It's different than last year. We had quick drives. Now we are stressing more focus and consistency.”

Long piled up 190 all-purpose yards in the first half.

“Our line is absolutely giant,” Long said. “Give them all the credit.”

The Chiefs added rushing touchdowns from Brandon Hausner and Quin Dixon in the second half.

They held Evansville/Albany to 194 yards of total offense. Blue Devils receiver Mitch Kauk turned in a solid effort with five catches for 62 yards.

“I've seen improvement,” coach Ron Grovesteen said. “We just didn't play well (last Friday against Brodhead). Here we played better.”

The Blue Devils travel to McFarland on Friday night. Big Foot will attempt to keep the train chugging at home against Orfordville Parkview.